🧰 Installation Guide — SemiDevKit

This document explains the environment setup, required software, and initial installation steps
for using SemiDevKit.

Target tools:

• 🧪 TCAD Playground
• 📐 BSIM4 Analyzer
• 🏗 OpenLane-Lite (RTL → GDSII)

🖥 1. System Requirements

1.1 Supported OS

💡 Using WSL2 is strongly recommended on Windows environments.

📦 2. Required Software

🐍 2.1 Python

SemiDevKit supports the following Python versions:

• Python 3.9 – 3.12

✔ Check Python version

python3 --version

✔ Install basic packages

pip install numpy scipy matplotlib pandas pyyaml

📌 Some modules run with only numpy and matplotlib,
but analysis tools (BSIM / Paramus) require pandas.

⚡ 2.2 ngspice

SemiDevKit uses ngspice for SPICE-based simulations.

🐧 Linux (Ubuntu)

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y ngspice

🍎 macOS

brew install ngspice

🪟 Windows

• ✅ Recommended: Use Linux ngspice inside WSL2 Ubuntu
• ⚠ Alternative: Native Windows binary
  https://ngspice.sourceforge.io/

✔ Verification

ngspice --version

🧩 3. Recommended Tools

🪟 3.1 WSL2 (Windows Only)

WSL2 is essential for stable operation on Windows.

wsl --install

After installing Ubuntu from the Microsoft Store:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

🐳 3.2 Docker (for OpenLane-Lite)

Docker is required to run the minimal RTL → GDSII flow.

• Install Docker Desktop:
  https://www.docker.com/products/docker-desktop/

✔ Required settings

• ✅ WSL2 backend
• ✅ Linux containers mode

📝 3.3 Visual Studio Code

Recommended editor environment.

Recommended extensions

• 🐍 Python
• 🪟 Remote – WSL (Windows)
• 🧾 Markdown All in One

📥 4. Clone the Repository

🔐 HTTPS

git clone https://github.com/Samizo-AITL/SemiDevKit.git
cd SemiDevKit

🔑 SSH

git clone git@github.com:Samizo-AITL/SemiDevKit.git
cd SemiDevKit

🐍 5. Python Environment (venv)

SemiDevKit consists of multiple independent tools.

📌 Using separate virtual environments per tool is recommended.

5.1 Create and activate venv

(Linux / WSL2 / macOS)

cd SemiDevKit
python3 -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate

5.2 Create and activate venv

(Windows PowerShell)

cd SemiDevKit
python -m venv .venv
.\.venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1

5.3 Install Python packages

pip install -r requirements.txt

If requirements.txt is not available (e.g., early releases):

pip install numpy scipy matplotlib pandas pyyaml

🧭 6. ngspice Path Configuration (Windows Native)

setx PATH "$env:PATH;C:\Program Files\Spice64\bin"

ngspice

📁 7. Directory Overview

SemiDevKit/
 ├ bsim/        # BSIM4 analyzers (DC / CV / DIM / Reliability / Paramus)
 ├ tcad/        # TCAD playgrounds (MOSFET / PZT)
 ├ openlane/    # OpenLane-Lite (RTL → GDSII)
 ├ docs/        # Documentation
 ├ assets/      # GitHub Pages assets
 ├ README.md
 └ ChangeLog.md

🚀 8. Quick Test

✔ ngspice + BSIM Analyzer

cd bsim/analyzer_dc
python run/run_vgid.py

✔ Python Plot Test

python - <<EOF
import numpy as np
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
plt.plot([0,1],[0,1])
plt.savefig("test.png")
print("OK")
EOF

🛠 9. Troubleshooting

❌ ngspice not found

• Verify installation
• Check PATH configuration
• 🪟 On Windows, use WSL2 for best compatibility

❌ venv activation permission error (Windows)

Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope CurrentUser RemoteSigned

📜 10. License Notes

SemiDevKit uses a hybrid license model.

📬 11. Contact

🎉 After installation, proceed to docs/UsageGuide